Hamas said in a statement on Monday that it had accepted a Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar. The Islamist faction said in a statement that its chief, Ismail Haniyeh, had informed Qatar's prime minister and Egypt's intelligence chief of its acceptance of their proposal.
Video: Celebrations in Rafah following the announcement on a possible ceasfire / Credit: Arab social media
Earlier on Monday, US President Joe Biden pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to go ahead with a large-scale Israeli military offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Monday, hours after Israel told Palestinians to evacuate parts of the area.
The White House said Biden reiterated his "clear position on Rafah," which has been that Israel should not proceed with an invasion plan unless it shows how to protect hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians there. The Israeli evacuation order comes after talks in Cairo aimed at reaching a ceasefire in exchange for releasing hostages deal stalled with Hamas demanding an end to the war after Israel proposed a ceasefire of several weeks. The evacuation order sparked fears of a full-blown assault in Rafah, long threatened by Israel, against holdouts of the Palestinian group Hamas, seven months after Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7 and took 252 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
"President Biden updated the prime minister on efforts to secure a hostage deal, including through ongoing talks today in Doha, Qatar. The Prime Minister agreed to ensure the Kerem Shalom crossing is open for humanitarian assistance for those in need," the White House said. The Kerem Shalom crossing is located in southern Gaza near Rafah.
